Dust and Phantasms
by A Blazing Star
Summary: Gaius' defeat had finally brought peace to the lands of Falana, but it did not last very long. When the Life Thread is disturbed once again by a greater force, Dust must rise again to confront this rising threat. However, this new foe may be even more formidable than Dust... For he, too, has the ability to wield the Blades of Elysium. Rated T for violence and gore.


_"I'm afraid that I still don't understand your intentions. Dust has fulfilled his destiny ,Gaius is dead and he no longer poses a threat to our race."_

_"You may have the Sen-Mithrarin to aid you this time, Gray Eyes. But what about next time? What if another individual rise again like Gaius? As you said, Dust has fulfilled his destiny, so who will help the Moonbloods next time?"_

_"… I still don't agree with your course of action."_

_"It doesn't matter. You will soon realize that it is for the greater good for us."_

* * *

"Cassius!"

_Pain. Heat._

_Everything is burning._

Those were the thoughts that first scrolled through Dust's mind as he came to his senses. The air smelt distinctively of burnt fur and sulphur, and the heat was definitely unbearable.

"Cassius!"

_What was that voice? What was happening?_ Dust thought as he tried to stand, but his legs refused to obey his commands. He head spun as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

Dust is becoming scared. As a professional soldier for most of his life, he was not familiar with this emotion. He knew that something was wrong with him, but except for the initial wave of pain, he could not feel anything. Slowly and painstakingly, he crawled towards what seems to be where the voice originated.

"Cassius!"

…

He remembered. The fight between him and General Gaius. The explosion of magma behind him. Memories, bit by bit, seeped back into his head as he crawled closer and closer towards the ledge. The air around him was getting hotter and hotter by the second, and lava surged in behind him, setting everything ablaze in its wake. The volcano was in an active state of eruption.

As Dust leaned over the edge, he could see General Gaius tethering precariously on the cliff, and below him, a cauldron of boiling lava swirled, turning the skies into crimson red. Shakily, Dust held out his hand.

"You… you are not Cassius." He rasped, clutching onto Dust's arm desperately.

"Yes, I am."

"Yes… You are… "The General closed his eyes and bowed his head sadly, as if he was silently lamenting. "But Cassius is gone, as is the world we once loved." He then heaved himself up and looked at Dust directly, and in his eyes, there was only sadness and melancholy. "Cherish it."

Then he was gone.

Dust could only look at Gaius as he fell, before a sense of weariness overcame him. He then rolled onto his back, closing his eyes. The heat was become more and more unbearable, and , but he did not care. He had completed his destiny, and he could feel the Life Thread calling him back once again, urging him to release the twin souls inside him. He could feel the two lifetimes of memories screaming in his head

"Dust! Dust!"

_Was that another memory?_ Dust wondered as he struggled to open his eyes. _The voice... it seems distantly familiar..._

"Fidget! There! I see him!"

Suddenly it dawned onto him.

Fidget.

And Ginger.

He felt a mounting sense of panic. _They shouldn't be here._

"Dust? Dust!" Fidget shouted over the cacophony of noise the volcano was making, her voice high and panicky. She flew over Dust, blocking half of his vision.

"Fidget..." The Sen-Mithrarin whispered, supporting himself with a shaking hand."Get out. Go."

"No without you! C'mon! Dust, get up!" Fidget said, traces of her determination seeping back into her voice once again. She tugged at the end of Dust's cloak, hoping that she could convince Dust to go with her. When it seems evident that Dust has no intention of leaving, nor is he able to, she drooped her shoulders.

"We did everything right, Dust... Everything we were supposed to do."

"And sometimes that's not enough, Fidget." Dust smiled and looked at the Nimbat. "When the Life Thread calls..."

Fidget at that point just closed her eyes, trying to block out what he was saying. The truth is too unbearable for her to stand.

"Fidget. Thank you." Dust concluded. He had nothing more to say. It was a final farewell to his best friend, and both of them knew it.

"Goodbye... Dust." Fidget said, tear in her eyes, before turning away from Dust and flying out of the volcano.

Dust traced the path of Fidget with his eyes, treasuring every moment of his life, and his eyes finally stopped on Ginger, who was staring down at him. He smiled again, happy that she was the last glimpse he'd see on this world. He then closed his eyes.

_I will always remember them._ Dust thought as the lava rose, engulfing everything in it's path, then it finally swallowed him, and then there was nothing left except for the destructive wave.


End file.
